


I Knew You Were Trouble

by katayla



Category: Bloodlines Series - Richelle Mead
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-24
Updated: 2013-12-24
Packaged: 2018-01-05 23:08:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1099651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katayla/pseuds/katayla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the first day of college and Sydney is ready for anything. Except maybe Adrian.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Knew You Were Trouble

**Author's Note:**

  * For [theepiccek](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theepiccek/gifts).



I was the first one to arrive in class and took a seat up front. I didn't want to miss a minute of college. It didn't take long to set up my laptop, but I was too excited to do anything but sit there and wait for everything to begin.

College. I had made it. I'd worked so hard to get to this place and now I was here, surrounded by people who _wanted_ to learn. This was it. My Garden of Eden.

The professor walked in 10 minutes early. I'd read up on her, of course. Jaclyn Terwilliger had been teaching history for the past ten years and was supposed to be very intelligent, with interesting lectures. Not that it took much to get me engaged.

When she started talking, I sat up straight. My sister said the only thing professors did on the first day is go over the syllabus and, sure enough, Dr. Terwilliger handed out pieces of paper that detailed everything about the class. She had just started to go over it when the door slammed open.

Everyone turned to stare as a tall, handsome boy walked in. If I were this late on the first day, I'd be embarrassed, but he just sauntered down to an empty seat.

Which happened to be next to me.

Ugh.

I knew who he was. Adrian Ivashkov. Rich party boy. My roommate, Jill, knew him and she said he was more than his reputation, but his reputation was enough for me to know he wasn't going to take college seriously. It wasn't fair that he'd slide through college, debt free, while I'd already put myself in a massive amount of debt just for freshman year.

And he didn't do anything to change my mind about him, as he slumped in his seat, eyes half closed.

When Dr. Terwilliger ended class, Adrian turned to me and grinned and I caught my breath. That smile. It was like a light had turned on and I was caught in his green eyes for a moment before I pulled away.

"You're Jill's roommate."

"Yes." I didn't look up, focused on putting my laptop away.

"Are you going to tell me your name or should I just keep calling you 'Jill's roommate'?"

I sighed. "I'm sure Jill told you."

And that grin popped back on. "It's nice to meet you, Sydney Sage."

*

"Do you have to sit by me every day?" I asked Adrian a few weeks later.

"Think of it as me keeping my eyes on Jill."

"Jill doesn't need you to keep your eyes on her."

His face darkened for a minute, all the usual laughter and joy in his eyes melting away. "I worry about her."

If it happened been for that expression, I would've laughed at that. Adrian Ivashkov, worry about someone? But, as it was, I bit my lip and looked down. Jill had mentioned that she'd had a tough time in high school. She hadn't elaborated, but I'd clearly stepped into something here.

I felt a touch on my arm and looked up.

"Hey, Sage, can I borrow a pencil? And some paper?" Adrian asked.

I shook my head. "What? Why?"

He'd never even brought a notebook to class. Just sat there and, half the time, appeared to be asleep.

"Maybe I want to take notes."

"I doubt it."

And that smile was back on his face. "Come on Sage, what if this is the one time I want to take notes and you're ruining it?"

Ugh. I couldn't say no to that and, from the way his grin widened, Adrian knew it.

"Fine," I said. "Here."

Adrian took the pencil and paper and and placed them on the desk in front of him. He folded his hands and sat there quietly until Dr. Terwilliger started class, the picture of the perfect student, and then his pencil began to move.

I glanced over at his paper.

He wasn't taking notes. His hands moved across the paper and a face took shape. Jill's face. I could recognize her, even though he'd only drawn a few details.

Dr. Terwilliger's lecture was as fascinating as usual, but I kept glancing at Adrian's drawing. Once, he looked up. When his eyes met mine, he smirked. He flipped the page over and started a new drawing.

Of me.

I inhaled so sharply that Brayden, the guy sitting next to Adrian, looked over. When he saw what Adrian was doing, he raised his eyebrows.

Which was just perfect. Brayden was a serious student, who always came to class early and asked intelligent questions. I didn't want him thinking Adrian and I were involved.

After class, Adrian handed me the piece of paper with a flourish.

"Adrian, I don't want this," I said. But my attention was captured all over again by his work. I wasn't good at art. Anything creative, really. Which was fine with me. I had other things to focus on. But there was a tiny part of me that wished I could be just a little more.

And here was Adrian Ivashkov, of all people, with this immense talent. He'd drawn me at my desk. I was leaning forward, my eyes trained ahead and fingers ready at my laptop keyboard. I looked like myself, a serious student, but he'd softened me somehow. Made me look like more than I was.

"You sure?" Adrian asked.

I didn't want to look up at him. Jill said that Adrian was hard to resist. I'd scoffed at that, but I suddenly found myself reluctant to test that theory. I didn't want to be drawn into his orbit.

But he touched my hand and I looked up. People said artists were vulnerable. It was hard to imagine Adrian as needing any boosts of confidence, but it would be rude to refuse the picture, wouldn't it?

I drew the paper closer to me and Adrian smiled.

"Good," he said, and he seemed a little more relaxed.

"Adrian, we can't be friends," I said. Even if we had Jill in common, he was far out of my circles. And we were too different. And I didn't want to be distracted by him.

"You sure?" he asked again.

No, I really wasn't.


End file.
